Another humble effort to capture the story of the kitchens of a vast land where food equals God:
Flashback to 1989: Bhoja, the fish seller of Kolkata was a man of impeccable charm and vast knowledge thanks to his regular business interactions, a popular Bengali daily and his compact transistor radio.
A perfect gentleman, he could not remain silent when Bishubabu the insomniac, made an unjust claim when buying a great Katla.
Nobody can love fish as much as the Bengalis. Bengalis love their fish — right from buying to cleaning and cooking.
The Saraswat Bramhins of Maharashtra love fish as much as we do, Dada.
A 10-year-old me was there when-Bishubabu bought a much inferior Katla that day from Hori, Bhoja’s arch enemy.
30 years later, Bhoja came to my mind when I was talking to Aditi Prabhu, eminent nutritionist and Goud Saraswat Brahmin.
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Living close to the sea, the prawns (fresh or dry), crabs, tarla or sardine, bangda mandeli, pomfret, surmai are favourites.
From Ramen Worth $100K To $7 Mn Of Cheese Wheels, Crimes Committed For Food
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A father-son duo was arrested for conning five-star hotels in Mumbai. The two would eat and drink and make a run for it, without paying the bill. They aren’t the only people who have entered a life of crime with food as the focal point.
A father-son duo was arrested for conning five-star hotels in Mumbai. The two would eat and drink and make a run for it, without paying the bill. They aren’t the only people who have entered a life o..
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Last month, a Melbourne man was the victim of one of the strangest burglaries. The thief did not make away with the expensive items in the house. Instead, he just ate all the chocolate. The victim was quoted saying, “He ate all my Cadbury Favourites.” The thief also enjoyed several cans of drink, cut his toenails and would have probably fixed himself dinner if the home owner didn’t come home when he did.
Last month, a Melbourne man was the victim of one of the strangest burglaries. The thief did not make away with the expensive items in the house. Instead, he just ate all the chocolate. The victim wa..
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Christmas is a time for giving and taking if this incident is anything to go by. A young nurse in the US said Christmas was a “cursed” time in her family after a series of unfortunate events happened around the holiday season. The final addition to the list was when thieves broke into her home and not only stole her children’s presents, but also the turkey, gammon and vegetables meant for Christmas lunch.
Christmas is a time for giving and taking if this incident is anything to go by. A young nurse in the US said Christmas was a “cursed” time in her family after a series of unfortunate events happened..
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Cheese is globally the top thieving food ingredient. And one of the most sought-after is Parmiggiano Reggiano. In Italy, 330 makers have been the victim of cheese heists. There is a big black market for these delicious cheese wheels and, according to reports, in the past two years, the stolen wheels have amounted to nearly $7 million in worth.
Cheese is globally the top thieving food ingredient. And one of the most sought-after is Parmiggiano Reggiano. In Italy, 330 makers have been the victim of cheese heists. There is a big black market ..
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“Anyone offered large quantities [of chocolate] via unconventional channels should report it to the police immediately.” That was the public service announcement that was issued in April 2018 in Germany when thieves made off with a truckload of Nutella and Kinder chocolate eggs. The stolen treats were worth more than $80,000. The police were clueless about the motive of the robbers and suggested they were after the truck the chocolate spread was stored in.
Large-scale food thefts are not unheard of in this particular part of Germany, as five tonnes of coffee and a truckload of Red Bull energy drinks were also on the hit list.
“Anyone offered large quantities [of chocolate] via unconventional channels should report it to the police immediately.” That was the public service announcement that was issued in April 2018 in Germ..
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Ramen noodles may be a cheap college staple but there was nothing cheap about this robbery. In Fayette County, Georgia, robbers stole packaged ramen noodles from a trailer park off the highway. There were nearly 3,00,000 packets of the noodle which amounted to nearly $100,000.
Ramen noodles may be a cheap college staple but there was nothing cheap about this robbery. In Fayette County, Georgia, robbers stole packaged ramen noodles from a trailer park off the highway. There..
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After a two-year avocado shortage in New Zealand, which has caused prices for the green fruit to surge, many people are taking to a life of crime by stealing avocados from orchards in the middle of the night and selling them on the black market.
Given the popularity of this green fruit, farmers are going out of their way to protect their trees by adding razor-wire fences around the trees.
After a two-year avocado shortage in New Zealand, which has caused prices for the green fruit to surge, many people are taking to a life of crime by stealing avocados from orchards in the middle of t..
Typically cooked with coconut, red chillies, kokum and sometimes tamarind.
Most veggies are prepared in sukke or ambat/ambot ways but my personal favourite is dalithoy, the split yellow lentil soup.
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In sweet, rice kheer and Mugache Kadhan/Moong Dal Kheer-during fasting are delicacies.
Apart from this, on the first day of Diwali five types of pohas are made for faral.
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Chicken is a recent addition and only an occasional indulgence.
1327: Tughluq kept shuffling the capital between Delhi and Daulatabad.
Senior Chef Sunit Sharma said, Aurangabad being adjacent to Daulatabad and also the military base of Aurangzeb, saw a lot of Muslim influence in the kitchen.
Most goodies here are very slow overnight— cooked paya with soft roti for breakfast and tender mince kebabs and Naankhaliya (Indian sour dough soft and well fermented bread made in iron tandoor buried in the ground). Haleem is sold in stalls during Ramadan.
"Chicken kentucky, thick red coloured batter coated and deep fried chicken pieces is an adapted dish in all local places," said Sharma.
Mawa jalebi is like a gulab jamun in spirals.
"The Khandesh speciality is Kothimbir wadi... steamed and then fried snacks made of besan, fresh coriander and spices," Sharma added.
Patodi rassa: cooked spiced besan wadi floated in Saoji gravy.
"Saoji masala is a concotion of over 34 herbs (examples: root of sunflower and orange tree is collected in April-May period. In Wardha belt, nomads who rear sheep prepare this black masala which is different from kala/goda masala," said Neelima Nitin, food blogger from Pune.
Gavhachi kheer: sprouted whole wheat cooked in milk and sugar with cardomon.
Anarse: Sweet crisp puris made of fermented rice dough, mixed with jaggery and coated with poppy seed and deep fried.
Sharma stated, "when the world is now talking about multi grain and dark grains and millets, this was our ancestral food culture..."
Thalipeeth:a multi grain spiced panfried breakfast preparation with chopped onion, tomato, green chilli and coriander leaves.
Ragi or nachni flour is cooked like a runny porridge and fed to infants.
It is said that Sant Eknath Maharaj offered a ‘panch pakwan’ meal to Shivaji Maharaj and his force without lighting the fire/cooking.
"The place is famous for its salads/koshimibir and chutneys," Nitin said.
Kacha Ghulana is a salad made with fresh fenugreek leaves, chopped onions, green chillies and peanuts. “God tel” which is our very own traditional extra virgin peanut oil and fresh lemon juice is the simple dressing.
Dangar made from pumpkin is again one of the salads which is not only healthy but delicious too.
Mas Wadi: Gramflour cooked and stuffed with special filling and rolled in to triangles . Then cut in to thick pieces. It can be served as snack or as a main ingredient in curry dish.
Valachi Usal: A tangy Malvani curry prepared with the “Val” or Broad Bean st.
Manik Painjan: Prepared with chana dal, wheat flour and gram flour. These are balls which are fried in oil and served with tomato sauce or chutney of any type.
Varli Vangi: A flavourful Maharashtrian curry cooked with stuffed eggplant.
And that beloved reader, is concluding this week's column. But hardly anything is covered of Maharashtrian kitchens. Stay tuned for more and keep watching this space.
